The Meaning of 2 Kings 16:12 Explained

2 Kings 16:12

KJV: And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.

YLT: And the king cometh in from Damascus, and the king seeth the altar, and the king draweth near on the altar, and offereth on it,

Darby: And when the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king approached to the altar, and offered upon it.

ASV: And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king drew near unto the altar, and offered thereon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when the king  was come  from Damascus,  the king  saw  the altar:  and the king  approached  to the altar,  and offered  thereon. 

What does 2 Kings 16:12 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 16:10-20 - High-Handed Idolatry
The calling in of the king of Assyria was fraught with disastrous consequences. "He distressed him and strengthened him not." Well may the Apostle warn us not to be yoked with unbelievers. Such alliances always result in the undoing of God's children. We cannot serve two masters. Thus in the hour of distress, notwithstanding the increasing and noble remonstrances of Isaiah, this same king Ahaz trespassed yet more against Jehovah.
It is remarkable, as showing the folly of the human heart, that in the lowest hour of his degradation before his conqueror Ahaz imitated the altar which he saw at Damascus. For this, the ancient brazen altar in Jehovah's Temple was displaced; and upon it in the sacred fane sacrifices were offered to the gods of the heathen. Alas, there is too much of this in the present day! Men are going back from the simplicity and spirituality of Christ to exploded philosophies and systems, which have failed in the past to satisfy soul hunger. Let us beware of the vacuum of the soul into which such evil things intrude. It is only as we are filled by the indwelling Spirit that we are immune against these temptations. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 16

1  Ahaz's wicked reign
5  Ahaz, assailed by Rezin and Pekah, hires Tiglath-Pileser against them
10  Ahaz, sending a pattern of an altar from Damascus to Urijah,
12  diverts the bronze altar to his own devotions,
17  He raids the temple
19  Hezekiah succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 16:12 mean?

And when came back the king from Damascus and saw the king - the altar and approached to the altar and made offerings on it
וַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ מִדַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק וַיַּ֥רְא הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶת־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וַיִּקְרַ֥ב עַל־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ וַיַּ֥עַל עָלָֽיו

וַיָּבֹ֤א  And  when  came  back 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִדַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק  from  Damascus 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דּוּמֶּשֶׂק 
Sense: an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 30 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem.
וַיַּ֥רְא  and  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
וַיִּקְרַ֥ב  and  approached 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
וַיַּ֥עַל  and  made  offerings 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עָלָֽיו  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.